Contrast
by borntoflyhigh
Summary: He noticed the oddities and contrast in their personalities…strangely taken aback by the white and black clarity of their opposite dispositions. Then, he wondered how, despite the obvious contrast, had they come to stand in the room, gazing at each other like old lovers. Mai/Naru. Dedicated to myheart's flight.


**'Contrast'**

**Disclaimer: _I don't own Ghost Hunt_**

**A/N: _Random. Was bored, annoyed, dying to write something and sleep, so if this doesn't make sense and appears distorted, I apologize._**

_**Dedicated to myheart's flight - though I promise you that I will write a better story in the future. *holds out her pinky**_

* * *

"_If you love me – won't you let me know,_

_If you love me – why'd you let me go." – Violet Hill/Coldplay_

* * *

He noticed the oddities and contrast in their personalities…strangely taken aback by the white and black clarity of their opposite dispositions.

For example, he noticed how small her hand was in his slightly large ones, the smoothness of her pale skin with the hard contours of his palms. He observed the mere width of her grin as she looked up at his slight frown, the storm swirling in her brown eyes as they held his blue, expressionless ones with an endearment that was strange in itself. He noted the fact that she was everything he could never hope to be, even after being with her and then mused over the fact of how they came to be together, standing in their room like old lovers.

She was talking to _him. _Listening to _him. _Making his thoughtless dreaming a reality. Right here, right now.

With him.

He was being an irrational sap but he couldn't find it in himself to care in the least.

Evidence of the fact that he was trying to be a good husband…pathetic, really.

"You know sometimes, I wonder what would have happened to us if you hadn't punched that random guy's nose when he tried to make a pass at me, during Monk and Ayako's wedding."

He scowled as familiar memories welcomed him.

He hadn't even realized that he was beating that moron for trying to even make a pass at Mai by dancing with her; before he had known it, he had already bloodied that useless-excuse-for-a-man's nose and was snarling at him to stay away from Mai. He hadn't lost self-control over the person but felt relief, satisfaction, fury and anxiety storm inside him when the man whimpered and fled for his life while Mai – stared up at him in awe and had then touched his arm lightly as if trying to channel his emotions into her body.

The next thing that had happened was something he would remember forever; he had waltzed with Mai to the music, kept her at his side for the evening and then escorted her to her house.

Then _other_ things had happened…

* * *

When he had walked into the office the next day, all the Irregulars awaited him and his walking in was greeted with confetti bursting from the ceiling accompanied by hearty laughs and pats on the back and ruffles with his hair.

"_You've manned up kiddo! At twenty-three you finally make a move!"_

"_Boss man! You put up quite the show last night at the wedding! Mai-chan was practically regarding you with awe-bright eyes!"_

"_Congratulations Mate, I hope you and Mai talked things over and finally confessed to each other."_

"_Hah! Look at you, you're practically radiating satisfaction. That smirk is on your face!"_

"_The confetti was my idea, Noll – I've sent pictures to Madoka and Luella-san. You needn't worry…"_

The confetti was a hassle but he quietly accepted the congratulations over confessing to Mai and later that day when Mai walked in the office; she had been greeted by the similar method though was attacked by embarrassing questions (courtesy to Ayako and Yasu with Monk-san howling at 'ruined innocence').

* * *

He was bought back to the present when Mai reached out, disentangling their hands and straightened his tie. He cleared his throat and then answered her previous question with a nonchalant gruff.

"I wouldn't have said anything then, we wouldn't be married then, you wouldn't be standing here asking me such inane questions."

"Naru, you're such a meanie, you know!" She whined, pouting but then the pout changed into a soft smile. "Back then I thought that if I understood you completely, I had a better chance of making you reciprocating my feelings. I thought that maybe you would trust me more."

She reached on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Why are we having this conversation again?"

"Because you're a workaholic, an impossible man but you're my husband." She smiled cheekily, affectionately patting his cheek as if he was a child. "Mine."

Their life was less twisted now, once he had expressed most of his fears bluntly to her, confessing and letting his heart do the thinking – to think that he, Oliver Davis would trust such an important task to an organ he had never known to exist inside him.

But there it was – his heart, beating when she bit her lip, his wife – Mai Davis, with her brown eyes and her warm smile and her impossible ways that he found endearing. They had been married over four months now but he still the same affection, the same attraction with her around.

He found this confusing, exciting and amusing…

"And besides, I was so damned happy when you confessed!" She chattered away, fixing her hair in the mirror. "I mean, Oliver Davis, at my house, pinning me to a wall – "

"Mai." He warned, silently asking her not to make him recall the cheese he had tried to put in his confession of ardor (and failed) but apparently Mai was feeling cheeky today and was reliving back memories.

"Pinning me to a wall and confessing by uttering some learned dialogues from a movie or the other –"

"It was Lin's idea of a confession. I am much more original."

She laughed heartily, swirling around in her white dress and examining herself in the mirror.

"I recall that you later said a swear word and confessed yourself in the most-Naru like manner but I still remember the cheese and corn in your confessions. Though I liked your version of them better, you know –"

"We're getting late. Hurry up."

She laughed again.

"What was that part you said about – "Mai, I can snag the stars for you, just say yes….how –"

"I was forced into saying that. No man could ever capture stars even for his beloved. The stars and planets are at a great distance from the earth. It was illogical, Lin's fault anyway."

"It's amazing how much you trust him, really…and to think he made a perfect fool of you – I thought it was Gene talking to me."

He smirked. It made him smug that she trusted his twin to say irrational things not him. Flattering even…

She had always been in his head when he hadn't confessed; he had thought it would pass with time but the unspoken emotion kept on growing wildly, taking root inside him, twining itself around his heart. He had spent most of his time wondering over this fascination with Mai that he couldn't halt and came to a simple conclusion.

He couldn't escape this unless he wanted to be a mooning idiot. He had to take action.

That part had been another new era of difficulty, all strategies had failed and he just couldn't tell Mai that he needed her with him, not now, not for a year or two but forever.

Though he didn't want to acknowledge that she was stronger than him; later he had realized that it was better because he could rely on her (not for keeping herself out of trouble but always being there) she was always the first one to see straight through his façade, through his demons, through every wall he put up. This vulnerability had angered him at first and then piqued his amusement, his interest.

So this was falling in love – it had been a strange, restless experience.

And it didn't seem to be ending anytime sooner which was all fine with him.

"I don't want you working too late at the office tomorrow Naru," Her mood turned to downright anxiousness all of a sudden. "You will get a fever, it's so cold anyways, okay – don't make me worry, ne?"

"You're acting like a housewife…and need I remind you your dialogues when I confessed?"

The effect of his threat was immediate.

"Naru." Her eyes narrowed to slits and he smirked in vengeance. "No."

"Ah, yes – when you crushed me with that hug and kept on repeating your love for me." He smiled victoriously as she puffed out her cheeks, blushing all over. "Not to forget when you reached out and then – "

Mai squealed in embarrassment and covered her red cheeks.

"Eii! Naru, stop – stop right there! We're late, come on now or Masako will kill us!" With that his errant wife raced down the hall, still scarlet and he was left there to stare at his reflection and wonder on how he came to stand here, with her…how he made the moment, how he could ever deserve her.

But Mai had taught him that love wasn't about deserving – it was something that bought the real person outside, it was something wonderful that tended to cause pain, it was selflessness and selfishness combined. It was everything that he had avoided for all those years and now it was the reality he thrived in.

Consequently, confused with his train of thought – he tried to smile in the mirror, his real smile as he relived their conversation.

And his eyes widened fractionally…

In his past, when he used to smile in the mirrors he always saw Gene and not himself beaming so frankly with both corners of the mouth turned up, a soft expression on his face.

But today he saw _himself _grinning….not Gene in his reflection.

It was him.

Still dazed by the sudden reality, he joined Mai in the hallway as she slipped on her shoes, humming to herself. Trying to catch her attention, he reached for the door and held it open for her.

"Let's go."

She smiled up at him brightly, wrapping her hand around his arm.

"I'm so happy for Masako!" She beamed up at him. "Though I'm a bit nervous."

"Why?" He asked, revving the car's engine and starting towards their destination. "It's not your wedding."

She turned to face him, a serious expression on her face.

"What if Yasu runs away from the aisle, claiming his love for Bou-san?"

His wife…he thought affectionately, controlling the amusement that came to his mind while he imagined what Mai had said. His wife, was an idiot but that was alright, he was smart enough for both of them.

"Mai. Yasu will do no such thing and even if he does, I think Matsuzaki will surely send him to the last pit of Hades."

"Haha, you're right. Aya-chan's so over-protective of Monk! It's so kawaii!"

"Baka."

"Eh?! Why am I an idiot if I think that their romance is kawaii?!"

"Baka."

"Meanie!"

"You're even dumber after our wedding."

"You're not a caring husband at all!"

"Did the vows say anything about being caring to each other?"

"What?! You forgot our wedding vows, you tea-addict!?"

"I remember promising the priest to keep you out of the depths of dumbness. That I recall."

"Why! YOU!"

The banter continued but Naru enjoyed it like he always did – feeling a familiar emotion boiling in his veins.

_Contentment. As close to happiness as it gets._

And he felt himself smile again, looking at his pouting wife through a side glance, noting their differences, the sharp contrast as it faded into oblivion…leaving behind no regrets, no pains, no second thoughts.

This was love, the feeling of belonging, at peace with one's own self.

Now, he could tutor Lin on what love was, not something about snagging stars or claiming to be a Romeo at all.

The shadows of his heart receded, the contrast faded away and he secured his hands around hers, making sure she heard his gesture loud and clear.

And she turned to him, smiling.

She understood – without even knowing she understood it, she understood him.

And nothing could be better, more satisfactory than that.

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**-borntoflyhigh-**


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